


Part 5: Meliorism

by wannabe_someone



Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: Gen, climb in folks, it wont make sense otherwise, must be read with series, the next part will be hard for everyone
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:28:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 931
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23875462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wannabe_someone/pseuds/wannabe_someone
Summary: Meliorism (n): the belief that the world gets better, the belief that humans can improve the world“I don’t get how they can care so little. Act like just because it hasn’t affected them, they don’t have to care. They’re the reason nothing happens. Not the bigots, but the ones who ignore the problems, who don’t say anything. The ones who can’t see a good option, so they stay home, bury their heads in the sand. That’s how people like our dear old president got elected.”
Relationships: Michelle Jones & Ned Leeds & Peter Parker, Michelle Jones & Original Female Character(s), Michelle Jones/Peter Parker
Kudos: 3





	Part 5: Meliorism

Back in West’s living room, Ari took a deep, long breath, letting herself relax. She normally felt safe here, but this day, she was on edge. 

Back in the kitchen, she could hear Ned and Peter laughing at whatever they were talking about. Looking over a bit more, she could see MJ, smiling faintly, head bent over a book. Ari stared for a minute, admiring how the light hit her, turning her entire body to gold. She looked insanely beautiful.

At that moment, MJ looked up, meeting Ari’s eyes. She blushed and looked away, leaning over to pet Johnson. Johnson flopped over onto the carpet, showing her belly. Ari went to rub her stomach, but apparently, Johnson wasn’t in the mood, pawing at her outstretched hand. Ari laughed. 

“Oh, you want to play, don’t you?” Still chuckling, she focused on the light, creating a small dot for Johnson to chase all around the couch. She was still playing with Johnson when MJ sat down on the floor next to her.

“I didn’t know you had a cat.”

Ari shrugged. “Technically, she’s West’s cat. I don’t usually spend much time here, so…”

She trailed off, not sure what to say. MJ seemed to be scrutinizing her, staring her down. Somehow, that stare made every single hair on her body stand on end.

Johnson meowed, quietly padding over to where MJ was sitting. MJ reached out a hand for her to sniff, then started to pet her.

“You can control light.”

“Yes?”

MJ almost looked remorseful for a second there, like she’d been too blunt. “Sorry. I’m usually blunt. Comes with the powers.”

Ari laughed. “Truth, right? That must suck.”

MJ shrugged. “You get used to it.” She studied Ari’s face for another minute, staring right into her eyes. Ari scooched back, unnerved.

MJ looked confused. “You look different, but I can’t figure out how. It’s confusing.”

Ari relaxed, realizing why she’d come over here. “Oh. That’s easy. How most people see me-” she gestured at her face, her hands, her body, “-that’s an illusion. Terrigen changed me physically. Not much, but enough to make it hard to blend in. Here, I don’t keep the illusion up.”

“Oh.”

Both of them trailed off into silence, hearing the boys laugh in the other room. Neither of them understood how they could be so… happy in that moment, not after the afternoon they’d had. 

MJ was the first to break the silence. “Canvassing - it was harder than I thought it would be.”

Ari nodded. “I don’t get how they can be so… so happy, when what we’re doing seems impossible.”

“What did they say to you?”

Ari was shocked at how flat the question sounded, how blunt she was. She welcomed it. It was better than dancing around the topic. “A lot of them laughed. A lot of them said-”

Ari stopped, remembering the derisive comments, the laughter. How little anyone else cared. “They said that there was no need for them to care about it. After all, humans should all just stick together.”

Humans. Only humans. Ari wanted to scream, wanted to yell that she didn’t ask for this. She didn’t ask to carry the gene, to deal with the discrimination, the fear. She didn’t ask to be seen as a threat.

MJ nodded. “They said the same things to me.”

Neither of them commented on the harsher things. People saying that they were better off dead. This one word - mutie - thrown around. The people who wanted them punished just for existing.

“I don’t get how they can care so little. Act like just because it hasn’t affected them, they don’t have to care. They’re the reason nothing happens. Not the bigots, but the ones who ignore the problems, who don’t say anything. The ones who can’t see a good option, so they stay home, bury their heads in the sand. That’s how people like our dear old president got elected.”

MJ nodded. “I want to go over there and celebrate with them, but I can’t. Not after today. I want to act, but there’s nothing we can really do right now. We need to show them the true problems.”

Ari raised her eyebrows. “Protesting usually works. Good social media. We need to get some attention, show the true problems.”

MJ stared off into the distance, thoughtful. “More than that, we need to humanize them. Show them what we’re fighting for. Not for their heroes, the Avengers, the ones who are high profile, but people. The homeless. The ones who get kicked out.”

“I get that. The Accords - heroes do need some oversight. Not people like Peter, the small time ones, but organizations like the Avengers need to be accountable. Not by the UN, not that strictly controlled, but - someone has to be there, make sure they don’t become too powerful.”

“Same. Uncontrolled power never works out. That’s how you get dictators.”

“Wait, Peter does photography, right? I think I have an idea.” 

As the plan started to come together in her head, Ari felt the growing surge of fear, but she knew what she had to do.

“I think we should do interviews. Photos. Put it all on social media, try and show exactly how it’s affecting us as people. And I think I should go first.”

MJ stared at her. “Why you?”

“Back when I first got my powers - there was a thing. I don’t like to talk about it, but I feel like I should.”

“Thank you.”

Ari smiled. “Let’s get going. We’ve got a revolution and an interview to plan.”


End file.
